


Phantom Limb

by FruityPebblezz



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Birth, M/M, Mpreg, Trans Male Character, You cannot stop me, lord help me I'm back on my bullshit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-27 13:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20408260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FruityPebblezz/pseuds/FruityPebblezz
Summary: After a one night stand, nothing is ever the same between Engineer and Spy, who now must deal with the new life they've helped create.(The titles comes from the song 'Phantom Limb, by The Shins).





	1. Phantom Connection

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this to Tumblr, and while it didn't get many notes at the time, I liked the idea so I pressed on with. I hope you all enjoy, and as always feedback is appreciated.

Mission trips were always tedious. While they could be fun, what with getting to see new places and spending time away from the base, these trips were also very time-consuming and even dangerous from time to time. Yet it was one mission that would change the way the mercenaries looked at these responsibilities for a very long time.

Heavy, Demoman and Engineer were all returning from a long mission trip which had been stationed a few states over. They left early in the morning once all had been said and done, and now they were on their way back to the base.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary– the three were chatting, sharing stories, and Engineer had even put in a music tape to play.

“This is one of my ma’s favorite tapes,” he explained, turning up the volume. “I used to listen to it all the time as a kid, and I can even play a few of these on guitar,”

In the passenger seat, Demo listened, and he remarked, “Ah, not bad! Sounds like somethin’ my mum would listen to too, but she doesn’t listen to tapes much,”

“My mother does not own any music,” Heavy piped up from the backseat. “But maybe I will buy her tapes at Christmas,”

“Good idea!” Engineer agreed, supportive. His hands gripped the steering wheel as his eyes watched the road ahead.

It was then, however, that things began to change a bit. Engineer got very quiet all of the sudden, and whenever Demo or Heavy would say something he would only make grunts or ‘hm’ sounds in response. Both men in the car noticed immediately, and Demo was the first to take action.

“You all right there, lad?” Tavish wanted to know, concern present in his voice. “Ye need to make a stop?”

Engineer didn’t respond for a long moment, trying to focus on the road while he forced down a wince. “What?” he asked after a few seconds of silence, blinking. “O-oh, uh…Nah, I think I’ll be okay,”

“You do not look well,” Heavy leaned forward to get a better look at the Texan. “You are too pale, are you sick?”

“Really, fellas,” Engineer sucked in a breath, trying to crack a smile. “I’m okay, I–”

The car nearly swerved down a nearby hill, and when Dell managed to get safely back on the road Demo intervened.

“Lad, you ain’t well,” Tavish observed, taking Dell’s wrist. “Pull over and let me drive, all right?”  
Engineer hesitated, and then nodded, slowing the car down and stopping it. “Okay…that’s probably a good idea,”

They switched places, with Engineer now in the passenger seat and with Demo driving. Heavy continued to watch Engie from the back, shifting forward to pat his shoulder. “We will be back at the base soon, and Doktor will look at you,”

Engineer blew out a breath, his hands kneading at the armrests. “Yeah…okay,” he gritted his teeth, doubling over a little.

“What is wrong?” Heavy asked finally, watching Engineer’s pained expression. “What is hurting you?”

“It’s…” Engineer’s voice died in his throat, so he simply pointed to his abdomen.

Demo noticed this, and he grimaced, rounding a corner. “Ugh, probably appendicitis,” he glanced at the truck’s clock, noting, “We’ll be at the base in thirty minutes. Hang in there, lad,”

Dell’s only response was a soft groan, his head falling back on the headrest and his eyes pressing shut. He knew it wasn’t his appendix since he’d had his appendix removed years ago, and even if that was the case his pain felt more like menstrual cramps. That’s what he thought it was: although changes had been made to his hormones and chest years prior, his period still came and went though it tended to be irregular. Unlike his usual cramps, though, these were unbearable, and they made him feel uncomfortably warm and itchy all over. He tugged at his collar, grunting while rocking back and forth in pain.

Demo looked over at him again, and then at the clock. “Lad, we’re almost there. We can make a stop if ye want,”

“No, it’s okay,” Engie tried to stay calm, but mentally he said 'screw it’. He didn’t care if he wasn’t alone, so he brought his hands to his abdomen and began massaging where he felt the pain. “Keep drivin’, please,”

Demo nodded, focusing back on the road. “Okay, whatever ye say,”

This went on for several minutes, and despite the constant massages Dell just felt worse and worse. The cramps were becoming more intense, and there was less space in between each one. A particularly bad one flashed through his abdomen, and he yelped, gripping the armrests again. “Ah, Lord!” he exclaimed, sweat trickling down his forehead as he tried to even out his breathing.

Heavy reached out from the backseat to rub at Engineer’s shoulder. “We will be back home soon,” he watched Engineer try to compose himself, noticing his posture and the sheer amount of sweat shining from his body. Something about this seemed very familiar to Misha, but he didn’t know why…

“What does it feel like?” Demo asked, glancing at Engineer with a wince. “Can ye describe it?”

Engineer doubled over again, groaning out, “It’s like…agh, it’s like somethin’ is tryin’ to claw it’s way out or ripping me apart– oh!” he gasped, sitting up suddenly.

“What?” Heavy sat up again, watching in concern. His eyes went wide when he noticed a dark, damp stain in the denim of Dell’s worn overalls, and the realization came crashing down.

“What the…?” Engineer panted, feeling the spot in confusion, before he let out a yell, gripping his stomach in agony. “Ah!”

Heavy wasn’t quite sure how to process the situation at first– he knew very well what was happening, as he’d witnessed his mother go through it years earlier, but in that case, she knew what she was doing and how to respond to it. Engineer clearly didn’t know what was happening, or he did but he was too disoriented to deal with it properly. After a moment, Heavy gathered himself and looked at the clock.

They would be at the base in five minutes, but could Engineer hold on until then? He was hurting very badly, that was evident, but help was only five minutes away. For now, Heavy would have to coach him through it the best he could.

“Engineer,” Heavy got his attention, and he took the Texan’s hand in his own and squeezed gently. “Breathe, yes? Try to relax, breathe deep, we will be there soon,”

Engineer nodded, but his brows pinched together with another cramp, and he hissed out in pain. “How soon!? I dunno how much longer I can handle this…”

At this point, Dell knew what was going on, and he could already feel some instinct deep inside himself telling him to push. He tried to ignore it to focus on breathing, but that urge to push was getting stronger and stronger.

Right as they finally pulled up to the base, Engineer could no longer stand it. With shaking hands, he undid his overall straps and shoved them down, trying to adjust himself the best he could.

“What are you doing!?” Demo exclaimed, his voice pitching a bit in shock.

Now that the truck was stopped, Heavy undid his seat belt and opened the door, shouting at Demo, “Get Doktor! Quickly!” before rounding the car to get to the passenger seat. Demo obeyed, leaping from the truck and sprinting to the base in a panic.

Heavy knelt to get a better look at Engineer, keeping his hand on the smaller man’s back. “Is okay,” Heavy comforted, trying to keep his voice quiet. “Body knows what to do, you will be all right,”

Engineer only nodded weakly with an 'uh-huh’ before he kicked his overalls and boots off, another groan escaping his throat. This time, he obeyed with the strong urge he felt and pushed hard, his teeth gritting with the exertion. He cried out, and Heavy grabbed his hand to support him as he pushed a second time.

Medic came running out a moment later with a towel thrown over his shoulder as he quickly approached the car, calling, “Herr Engineer, I am coming! Do not worry!”

It was then, though, that Dell pushed a third time, and a loud gasp punched its way out of his throat. “Oh, my God!” his chest heaved, relief sweeping over him but a feeling of shock and panic setting in. He reached between his legs, his eyes wide in disbelief as he brought up a tiny, bluish baby for Medic to see.

Medic paused, assessing the situation mentally before diving in. “All right, all right,” he took the infant from the downright shocked Texan and wrapped it in the towel, rubbing it. “Here we are, now, let’s breathe!”

Engineer laid against the seat, panting but already feeling much better. He watched the baby silently, fear forming in his chest. “Please breathe,” he murmured, barely audible, his heart racing.

The baby made a gurgling sound, before the little cry emerged from its throat, the small chest beginning to move naturally.

Medic still cleared the fluid from its airways anyway, cooing, “There we are! This is very unexpected, I had no idea you were coming! What a surprise,”

Engineer finally relaxed, smiling, a laugh making its way out of his throat. “Ha, yeah…you think you’re surprised, imagine me!”

They all had a good laugh, and Medic bundled the baby up in the towel before handing her to Dell. “Here she is, I’ll need to take a look at her once you’re settled, all right?”

Engineer shifted his arms to hold the baby properly, peering into the towel to look at her. “Oh, my goodness,” he marveled, his voice softening as he touched the little cheek. He didn’t even know what to say: she was gorgeous. She was small, but her skin was soft and while she didn’t have much hair, the hair she did have twisted into sweet little curls on her head. She was perfect…and she’d taken Dell completely by surprise. All that pain he’d gone through now felt so far away, and it had been replaced by a deep need to care for this little thing he’d just brought into the world.

Heavy patted his shoulder, smiling at him and the baby. “She is beautiful, Engineer,”

“Yeah,” was all Dell could reply with, his voice quiet. He leaned back, watching as Medic tied the cord off and stood up, removing his coat.

“Come, let’s get you decent and inside,” Medic instructed, draping his coat over Engineer and taking his arm. He helped the smaller man up, leading him inside.

The other mercenaries had all gathered outside to watch from several feet away, although Scout was trying to get closer.

“Wait, what happened?” he took a step forward as if to run up to Engineer and Medic. “What does Engie have?”

Soldier held Scout back with a strong hand, but he also watched in interest. “It appears to be a sausage!” he confirmed after a moment. “A large one too! With legs!”

Scout wrinkled his nose. “Eww, what? No way!”

Pyro nudged Scout, getting his attention, and then pointed to Engineer before making the universal symbol of rocking a baby with their arms.

Scout’s eyes got wide. “Holy shit, he had a kid!?”

“Gentlemen!” Spy’s voice sounded oddly strained and more stressed than normal. “Leave him be– the last thing he needs right is to be stared at by you Neanderthals!”

Everyone went silent, as it wasn’t usual for Spy to scold others for being intrusive. Sniper spoke up a moment later, agreeing, “He’s right. Come on, let’s go back inside, and then we can visit with him later,”

Demo nodded. “Yeah, he was hurtin’ pretty bad, he probably wants a break,”

With this, they trickled into the base one by one, until Spy was the only one left behind outside. Scout stopped in the doorway, turning around to look.

“Yo, Spy,” he called out. “You coming in?”

“Mm-hm,” Spy replied quietly, appearing to be lost in thought. He put out his cigarette before heading inside with the others.

Inside, Engineer got settled on a cot while Medic examined the baby. Dell watched, and he asked, “Is she okay, doc?”

“She’s a little premature,” Medic replied, making sure she was warm in the towel. “You will need to feed her regularly and keep her warm since she needs to gain as much weight as possible,”

“I can do that,” Engineer sat up when Medic approached, and he held his arms out. “Lemme see my girlie,” a grin spread across his face when she was placed in his arms, and he kissed her forehead sweetly. “There’s my angel! You feelin’ better now, sweetheart?”

The baby yawned, squeaking a little as her hands curled into tiny fists. Dell relaxed back onto the pillow, sighing. “God, she’s so beautiful…”

“What will you name her?” Medic wanted to know, removing his gloves and setting them beside the sink.

“I dunno,” Engineer admitted, stroking his baby’s cheek. “I’ll think of a name…I gotta get to know her first, you know?”

Medic nodded, understanding. “Of course! I understand completely,” he hung his coat up, heading for the door. “I will leave you two alone, then. Call if you need anything!”

“Yep!” Engineer smiled, and when the door closed he turned his attention back to his little girl, his hand brushing the wisps of hair on her head. “You got so much hair. I wonder if you’ll have my ma’s hair– oh, gosh, she’s gonna be so happy to hear about you! I’ll have to call her, and she can visit so you can meet your granny! That’ll be nice,”

The baby’s eyes opened, blinking up at Dell, before they fell closed again. Dell felt tears prick at his eyes, and he held his daughter close, his chin coming to gently rest on her head. “I can’t believe it…it’s like I got a Christmas present in summer,” he rubbed her back, and she made a soft noise at him.

Engineer hardly noticed the door opening once more, but he did notice the smell of cigarette smoke faintly wafting near him, and he realized he wasn’t alone.

He opened his eyes, sighing, “I know you’re there, Spy…you don’t gotta hide,”

Spy uncloaked, sitting on the edge of the cot. His eyes were fixed on the baby, and he said nothing for a long moment. Finally, he cleared his throat.

“Were you…going to tell me at some point?”

Engineer shook his head. “No. I didn’t know, I couldn’t have told you anyway,”

“I see,” Spy folded his hands over his lap, looking away. After a moment, he looked back. “And you’ll be keeping the little one?”

“Of course,” Engineer’s arms tightened around his daughter, feeling her shift in his arms. “I’d be a damn fool to give her to that shithole orphanage,”

Spy nodded understandingly. “Mm, yes, of course,” he sighed, focusing on the baby again. “Well…would you like me to be in her life? Because–”

“I do!” Engineer exclaimed, sitting up taller. “Look, I know what happened was a one-time thing, but she needs both her parents,” he looked back down at the baby, and then up at Spy again. “Even if we aren’t together,”

Spy fell silent again before his eyes glanced at the floor. “They’ll all know then, you know,”

“Is…that okay?” Engineer tilted his head, watching Spy’s face.

A pause. Spy nodded, and he shifted closer. “Perhaps it won’t be so bad…she is beautiful,” he reached out, gently brushing the baby’s little cheek. She squeaked, and Spy couldn’t help but smile. “Salut, mon chéri. Comment allez vous?”

Engineer held his arms out so Spy could get a better look, and he moved closer. “You’re gonna spoil her rotten,” he grinned when the infant shifted to look at up at Spy, but then his smile faded. “Oh, God…what about Scout? This is his–”

“Worry about that later, please,” Spy cleared his throat, making it clear he didn’t want to bring his son into this just yet. “We have a daughter, let’s celebrate her,” he pressed a little kiss to her forehead, humming softly. “Ma petite fleur. Sais-tu comme tu es belle?”

Engineer swallowed, but he felt himself smiling again as he tried to settle into the pillows once more. This wasn’t what he imagined a moment like this being like, but he was grateful Spy wasn’t going to disappear again.


	2. Towers to the Sky

For the first time in a very long time, Engineer slept a full night’s sleep. He felt a bit guilty about it, as he usually liked to get up early to work and such, but there wasn’t much to do today anyway.

Spy woke him up, very gently, and when Dell’s eyes opened, Spy handed him a tray with some food neatly arranged on it.

“Here you are,” Spy spoke softer than usual, placing the tray in Engie’s lap as he sat up. “I made breakfast for you,”

Engineer smiled, turning to look at Spy. “Why, thank you, partner, I appreciate it,” he reached up to caress Spy’s arm, briefly, before digging into the breakfast.

Spy watched Engineer for a moment, before saying, “I fed the little one the bottle you left in your fridge. I hope that was all right,”

Engineer froze. “Cold?”

“Of course not,” Spy scrunched up his nose. “I would never— I’m not an idiot. I heated it first,” he went on. “She fussed a bit, but she’s better now that she’s eaten,”

“Good,” Engineer sat the tray to the side, although he was only halfway done with it. “Now, where’s the lil’ pumpkin?”

Spy rose up, turning to where a very old wooden baby cradle sat, and he took the baby out of it. “Right here, also Tavish bought the cradle secondhand, I hope that’s all right,”

“That’s perfect,” Engineer murmured, reaching out to accept the little girl. “There’s my baby!” He cooed once she’d settled in his arms. “Did you have a nice sleep, dumplin’?”

She blinked up at him, her eyes studying his face, before she crushed her nose up and sneezed.

“Bless you!” Exclaimed Engineer, rubbing her cheek. “You hear that, Spy? Means she can breathe!”

Spy nodded, reaching over to stroke her head. “Oh, I heard. You slept through her crying earlier, she gets very loud,”

“I did?” Engineer felt his heart sink a bit. “Aw, no…she must have thought I ignored her…”

“No— listen,” Spy shifted closer to Engineer, touching their shoulders together, and he looked him in the face. “I was here, I took care of her. You have nothing to worry about, I wanted you to rest,”

Engineer went quiet, looking down at the baby in his arms, and then up at Spy. “You…you stayed here the whole night?”

Spy nodded. “Of course,” he carefully placed his hand on Engie’s, giving it a ginger squeeze. “I wanted to be here, for her and for you,”

“Spy—,” Engie didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected this from Spy, despite the conversation they’d had the night before. “My God…thank you, I-I…”

“Please,” Spy waved him off. “There is no need to thank me, really. I was only doing what I am supposed to do,” he smiled at Engineer, before rising from the bed. “I am going to take a smoke break, now— do you need anything else?”

Engineer shook his head. “No, I got it from here. You are mighty kind, Spy,”

Spy just smiled again, before leaning down to kiss the infant’s head again. He murmured something to her in French, and then he finally turned to leave the room.

Once he was gone, Engineer sighed and stretched out, laying the baby against his chest with a hum. “There we go, pumpkin…I’m gonna spend the whole day with you, okay? You ain’t gonna be alone,”

She only squeaked in response, her fingers tugging at his shirt gently, her cheek pressing against his warm chest. Engineer chuckled softly, rubbing her back in a circle. “Yeah, you’re a pretty girl, ain’t ya? Pretty girl…”

Eventually, Engineer got out of bed, dressing comfortably for the day, but he managed to adjust the front of his overalls enough so he could slip the baby in there, and he secured her with a soft strip of fabric.

“Look at that!” He stood back, admiring his work in the mirror and bringing up his hand to support the back of her head. “You’re like a baby kangaroo! Look at you, cutie bean!”

She didn’t seem impressed, and she squirmed slightly at the new position, but after a few seconds, she curled into the warmth of his chest and laid there, her little back rising and falling with breaths.

Engineer then set to work in his workshop, but he was careful about what he did because he now had a little companion with him, one he wanted to keep out of danger at all times. She was good, and she only cried once when she wanted to be fed again, and Engie responded to this by taking a break to feed her.

A little while later, Engineer took a moment to change the baby and clean her in the kitchen, an action which caught the attention of Soldier.

“What are you doing?” Soldier barked, standing in the doorway, squinting at the baby.

Engineer looked up briefly. “Hm? Oh, I’m just givin’ the baby a little change,” he turned back to pull her clothes up, and then looked over his shoulder at Soldier. “You wanna come see her?”

Soldier approached apprehensively, leaning down to look. He was quiet for a long time, his face expressionless, until he remarked, “She is very small. She needs to grow bigger!”

“She will!” Engie assured, chuckling as he picked her back up. “She’ll grow up before you know it, but if I’m bein’ honest I like her tiny,”

“Hm,” Soldier pursed his lips together. “Will she use a gun just like you?”

Engineer just shrugged. “If she wants to, I mean…”

Just then, there was some kind of a commotion just outside the kitchen. There was a clatter, and Scout was yelling, “Get the hell away from me, you stupid bastard! Leave me alone!”

“Scout,” Spy’s voice was quieter, but it sounded strained and tired. “Scout, please listen—,”

Scout came storming into the kitchen, his hands balled into fists, and a look of rage spread across his face. He paused for a moment, noticing Engie and the baby, before grumbling harshly under his breath and stomping out the door.

“What happened?” Soldier wanted to know, looking to Engie for some kind of an explanation.

Engie had a feeling he knew what happened, but he also knew he should ask Spy before jumping to conclusions. He picked the baby back up, heading into the next room, where he found Spy sitting at the table all alone.

Spy was silent, and he stared ahead with a blank, tired expression while he wrung his hands. One of his legs bounced slightly, which was something Engineer had never seen him do before.

Engineer stepped closer, taking a seat beside Spy. After a moment of quiet, Engie asked, “Did you tell him?”

Spy blinked, and then nodded, still saying nothing. Engineer sighed, moving closer, balancing the baby in one arm while he held Spy’s hand.

“I’m here,” Engie assured in a soft voice.

Spy only nodded again, squeezing his hand, his head dropping low enough to press a kiss to the baby’s head. She only yawned, before reaching up to gently tug on Spy’s mask.

Engineer thought at that moment about asking Spy to remove the mask, or maybe even asking him to say his real name. But he said neither of those things and instead he just stayed quiet and held Spy’s hand. Once Spy was ready to speak, they would speak.


	3. Foals in Winter Coats

After a few hours, Engineer finally made the decision to speak to Scout.

He found the young man outside, hitting around a few balls with his bat, a pensive expression on his face. As Engineer approached, he cleared his throat and called out to him.

“Hey, Scout! Can we talk?”

Scout didn’t turn around, and he just tossed another ball in the air and smacked it towards the sand dunes. Engineer stopped right by him, watching the ball disappear with a whistle. “Damn. You’ll have to pick all of those up eventually, you know?”

Scout’s only response was a grunt, and he turned to walk away again. Engineer was not a man to give up, though, so he persisted. “Scout—Jeremy, listen—”

“Don’t freakin’ use my real name,” Scout gave him the stink-eye, his bat still hanging low at his side. “I don’t care if you're bangin’ my dad, okay?”

Engineer paused, and he sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. “So…he told you?”

Scout tossed another ball in the air and caught it. “Yeah. Told me everything,”

“Yeah, that’s what he said,” Engineer looked away for a moment, before glancing back up at Scout. “Listen—I don’t want nothin’ to change between us, okay? Now, look: you don’t need to make me part of your family or anything, that ain’t what I’m lookin’ for. It’s just…” he took a breath. “You got a sister, now, and I think she really needs you around,”

At the mention of the word ‘sister’, Scout’s face crumbled, and he started to sob pitifully. Those sobs felt like a stab in Dell’s chest, and he stepped close to put his arm around the younger man. “Hey, hey, hey, now,” Engineer’s voice softened, hugging him close. “Look, don’t cry, it’s okay!”

Scout sniffled, his chest heaving. “Sorry…sorry,” he messily wiped his tears across his face. “Fuck—I just…I dunno,”

Engineer took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay, just calm down,” when Scout caught his breath and seemed to even out his breathing, Engineer spoke up again. “Now…what’s wrong? Do you wanna tell me?”

Scout swallowed. “I dunno…it all hurts, it just fuckin’ hurts—it’s stupid!” he took another deep breath to calm himself. “It’s like…it’s like he didn’t even care about me, he didn’t stick around for me but now he sticks around for her, and it’s like…” he inhaled deeply again. “It’s not fair, okay? It’s not fair…”

“Oh…” Dell sighed, taking a moment to rub Scout’s back. “Hey, look, I’m sorry about that. I know that was hard, growin’ up without your dad,” he went quiet, looking away. “But…your dad, he feels bad about what happened, you know? He says leaving you was a mistake, and I’m sure he doesn’t wanna make that same mistake again with your sister, right?”

Scout thought for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah…yeah, I mean, that makes sense, you know? But…I dunno, I feel…cheated, I guess? That the word?”

Engineer shrugged. “Sure, I suppose. But I wanna let you know that you’re completely justified to be angry and upset, I know I would be too. This was a hell of a thing to drop on you today, I get that,” he leaned in close again. “But…I think your sister would love to have you in her life, don’t you think so? You’re not the youngest one anymore, I guess,”

Scout cracked a small smile at that. “Yeah…you’re right. I didn’t think about that,” he wiped his eyes, clearing his throat. “So…what’s her name, anyway?”

“Oh,” Dell paused. “Well…she doesn’t have one yet, but she will soon enough,” he smiled at Scout. “You wanna come inside and say hi to her? You didn’t really get a chance to,”

Scout nodded, swinging his bat over his shoulder. “Yeah, okay. Where’s she right now?”

“Inside,” Engineer replied, ushering Scout inside the base. “She’s havin’ a nap, I got Demo to watch her,”

They found Demo in the living room, watching the television as he held the baby in his lap. Soldier sat beside him, leaning in to look at the newborn and speak to her.

“And you must learn to be vigilant, or the commies will get you!” Soldier spoke very seriously to her, watching her face. “Hippies can swoop in and poison your mind, but they’re scrawny and easy to beat ‘cause they don’t eat any meat or bread,”

“Leave the lil’ lass be, Jane,” Demo scolded gently, bouncing her a bit. “Ye don’t wanna give her nightmares,”

Engineer intervened at that moment, stepping in to gently take the baby. “Hey, thanks so much for watching her, I appreciate it,”

Demo have a curt nod. “Of course! She was real good, too, didnnae even cry once,”

“Aw, that’s great! I’m glad to hear that,” Engineer cradled the infant in his arms, smiling down at her. “I’m here, now, darlin’!” he cooed, bouncing her gently. “And someone came to meet you,”

Engineer turned to Scout, who stood there awkwardly and for once virtually silent, and he moved a little closer. “Okay, hold out your arms, I’ll show you how to hold her,”

Scout nodded, visibly nervous, but he held his hands out just as instructed. “O-okay,” he gasped a little when the infant was laid in his arms, and he struggled to hold her properly. Luckily for him, Engineer gently guided him on how to support her head, and after a few seconds, he had her settled into his arms.

“Hi,” Scout swallowed a little, watching her shift and look up at him with her small, blue eyes. For a rare moment, he didn’t know what to say, but after taking a deep breath he gained his confidence back. “Hi, there, I hope you like the world so far. I know it’s screwed up, but not everyone’s a jerk, I promise,” he grinned, tightening his hold on her, adjusting to the feel of her in his arms. “Anyway, I’m your older brother, you can call me Jeremy,” he held out his finger, and as if on cue, she reached out and grabbed it. He laughed. “Nice to meet you,”

Dell felt himself tearing up a bit, but he held it back as he watched Scout bond with his new half-sister. It was a beautiful sight, and something Engineer would never forget for as long as he lived, yet he wondered if Spy was cloaked somewhere and watching. It wouldn’t be a far-fetched notion at all, Spy tended to do that, after all.

However, this was untrue. When Engineer left Scout to care for the baby so he could use the bathroom, he happened upon Spy there, sitting by the window while smoking a cigarette.

“Hey,” Engineer greeted when he saw him, stilling to watch him.

Spy put on his cigarette, turning to face Engineer. He looked tired.

“Hello. How is…the little one?”

“She’s fine,” Engineer assured. “I just introduced her to Scout. You should see ‘em, he loves her so much already,”

Spy sighed, shrugging. “Perhaps…I do not want to anger Jeremy again, though, so perhaps I will keep my distance—”

“No!” Engineer blurted out suddenly, startling Spy a bit. “I-I mean…damn it, Spy! This is a big moment for both your kids—can’t you just say hi? Or anything? Don’t sit this one out, please,”

Spy went quiet, and he took a breath, hopping down from the window. “All right…perhaps you’re right, there,”

He pushed open the door and headed out, and Engineer followed close behind, wanting to be present for this. Spy approached Scout in the living room and got his attention by carefully putting his hand on his shoulder.

“Hello, Jeremy,” Spy spoke softly, bracing himself, anticipating an angry reaction.

Scout turned to look at him, the baby still resting in his arms, and he didn’t say anything at first. After a few minutes, though, he spoke. “Hey,”

Spy took his hand off his son’s shoulder, and he let it fall to his side as he looked at the baby. “Beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Scout agreed, rocking her a little. “She really is,”

There was a long silence, and then Spy put his arm around Scout, pulling him into an embrace. Scout didn’t let go of the baby but allowed himself to be hugged, and he buried his face into his father’s shoulder. Scout sniffed, keeping the baby situated between them. “D-don’t crush her, okay? She’s really little…”

Spy almost laughed in response. “I know, I know…”

Engineer watched from a few feet away, not wanting to interrupt. However, Spy glanced up, and he reached out to beckon Dell close.

“I’m…” Engineer started to speak but instead accepted the offer, taking Spy’s hand.

Spy pulled him in to hold him close, right next to Scout, and they all held on to each other in blissful silence. They were careful not to press on the baby, though, as she was still new and fragile, but now she had her family so close to her for the first time in her young life.


End file.
